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HomeMy WebLinkAbouth- 4 Expenditure Request for Grant Funds Community Oriented Policing Services ( Coops More) /11:11[11) AGE DA ITE TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Bob Garcia, Interim Police Chie VIA: Rick Cole, City Manager4(i DATE: March 20, 2000 SUBJECT: EXPENDITURE REQUEST FOR GRANT FUNDS - COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES (COPS MORE) RECOMMENDATION: Amend the City's 1999-00 budget to include the appropriation of funds to be received from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS MORE) grant program, and approve proposed expenditure plan and purchases in one City Council action. The COPS MORE award is for a total of $158,270. SUMMARY. The Police Department submitted a grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services for a 1998 COPS MORE (Making Officer Redeployment Effective) grant. Though the proposal was initially denied it was maintained for future consideration, and was awarded to the City in October 1999 in the amount of $158,270. The approved project for this award is the Public Safety Computer System Upgrade, including Mobile Data Computers. During the past year, the Police Department has brought before City Council requests to contract with a primary vendor(Lucent Technologies) and to purchase some of the necessary hardware for the Public Safety Computer System Upgrade project. The funding sources for all of the purchases requested have been and continue to be from various state and federal grants, building project monies,and asset seizure funds. Every effort has been made to seek alternate sources to pay for the initial project as well as to add enhancements, without requiring General Fund money. It is anticipated that the systems' future maintenance and equipment replacement costs will eventually become General Fund expenditures. However,staff has factored into the initial implementation plan 1 i/4 OO and budget to use grant funds to pay for 18 months of maintenance and 2 years of wireless and phone communications network use. Several communication and network related technologies have changed since staff put forth the initial project proposal and estimate of costs; a new and more powerful wireless network is now available in our region(Cellular Digital Packet Data, CDPD); and additional network routers and cabling as well as a greater number of software license upgrades are required than originally anticipated . Also, a limited number of options are available when selecting effective and functional mounts and consoles for the patrol cars that will accommodate the notebook computers, air bags, and other safety equipment. A specialized vendor can now deliver a more optimal mounting system. The timely award of the COPS MORE grant allows us to address these needs. Three of the items listed below (the notebook computers, the modems and antennas, and the lease of the wireless network)were approved for purchase last year by City Council; funding sources were identified as LLEBG and COPS grants. Staff now recommends that they be purchased with COPS MORE grant funds because this grant specifies that all purchases must be complete by August of 2000, and the expenditures proposed can be purchased within that time frame. Proposed Expenditures (Approximate Costs and Purchase Recommendations) 1. Hardware for the patrol vehicles mobile computer operation ($43,000) Modems and antennas ($18,000) (Previously approved purchase) Mounts for computers, and adjoining consoles ($18,000) (Sole source vendor) Installation ($7,000) (Current Police vehicle installer) 2. Communication Network Access ($23,000) Two years of frame relay data phone line ($5,360) (Sole source vendor) Two years of wireless network access ($17, 640) (Sole source vendor) 3. Notebook computers with network cards and memory ($60,000)(Local governement. purchase agreement) 4. PC memory upgrades ($7,900) (Lowest written quotation) 5. Document imaging data conversion($12,000) (Software programmer) 6. Microsoft Access license upgrades ($12,000) (Lowest written quotation) 7. Unidentified ($370) TOTAL GRANT=$158,270 The exact amounts indicated for each item are subject to change due to fluctuations in final costs for services and products. All funds from the COPS MORE grant shall be expended for law enforcement technology, as specified in the grant guidelines. BACKGROUND: COPS MORE Grant The goal of the COPS MORE grant is to use technology to increase the efficiency of patrol officers. Currently, patrol officers spend considerable time each day on routine paperwork. With increased computerization,we will be able to reduce the time spent by police officers on paperwork by more than one hour each day. The officers will spend the time that they have regained,working with the community to address community needs. The COPS MORE grant provides local law enforcement agencies with federal monies to purchase technology and equipment and was designed to expand the implementation of community policing through redeployment, rather than by hiring additional law enforcement officers. The grant represents approximately 27% of the total project costs proposed. The technology project we proposed is the replacement and expansion of the Public Safety Computer Systems (including Computer Aided Dispatch, Records Management System, Mobile Data Computers, and document imaging). The project's remaining 73% funding is being provided by Brulte (Citizen's Option for Public Safety), LLEBG (Local Law Enforcement Block Grant) grants and Asset Seizure funds. In providing new technology into the Department's operation, and thereby streamlining the manner in which information and reports are created,stored,and retrieved, it is anticipated that many hours of the police officers' time will be able to be redirected to community oriented policing activities. This is the commitment that we make when participating in the COPS MORE grant program. Public Safety Computer System Upgrade The Public Safety Computer System Project is currently being implemented. The project includes providing sufficient notebook computers and proper mounting and modem components to institute silent dispatch,report writing, and photo imaging for twelve patrol units . It is an eventual goal to acquire future grant funds and to purchase additional notebook computers,to further build out this part of the project. FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditures will utilize the COPS MORE grant funds. The grant operates on a reimbursement basis. Expenses are submitted and the corresponding reimbursement is "drawn down" from the grant award.No General Funds are being expended. The Public Safety Computer System upgrade project will not use General Fund monies for acquisition of software and hardware nor initial system implementation. Staff has included 18 months of maintenance and 2 years of lease costs for the communications network within the scope 3 . o the project,payed for with the COPS MORE and the other accumulated grant funds. s with current computer systems, the new systems will eventually garner maintenance costs. dditionally, the City will be leasing a commercial wireless communications network and frame r:lay data line in order to enable field units to communicate with the station. These communications s stems will also incur ongoing costs. P'EPARED BY: Elizabeth Putrino, Administrative Services Manager 4